Giving Up Your Right to be Right

Confession time: I am a stickler for rules. Whether it’s board games or traffic, there is something in me that gets completely troubled when I think someone has broken the rules. An example would be the unwritten rule of “first in line” courtesy. Meaning, that if several people are waiting in line at a fast food counter, and a person bypasses those who have already been there waiting to get ahead in line, I…get a little bit mad. Okay, okay, so I may have been known to loudly clear my throat, give wild eyes, or even, yes, say something to the offender on occasion. Something in me is just screaming that this isn’t right! You broke the rules!

What is it that makes us want to be right? That prickly feeling that bubbles just under the surface of our skin, compelling us to prove our point, defend our stance, or just make sure everyone knows that we are, in fact, well, right.

Something God’s been showing me lately is that I have to lay down my right to be right. Sometimes, being right is far less important than being sorry, or being a peacemaker. It’s hard, though. I want to, you know, be right! I want to prove my point. I want to argue it until the other side bends and I stand victorious! Yeah, except that accomplishes what, exactly?

I read this quote on a friend’s Facebook page, and it hit me pretty hard:

apologizing: does not always mean you are wrong and the other person is right… it just means you value your relationship more than your ego.

Make something right today by giving up the idea that you have to be right. In the end, what matters more – getting a few “right” victories under your belt, or saving a few relationships and extending grace to someone else? Make the right choice today – give up your right to be right.